Refrigerator

ABSTRACT

A refrigerator includes: a main body cabinet forming a storing compartment which has a front opening formed with a predetermined height and width; and a plurality of illumination units disposed along an inner circumference of the main body cabinet and adjacent to the front opening; each illumination unit comprising a light source which has a predetermined light directivity angle θ, and each light source of the plurality of illumination units is disposed not to be superposed with each other.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No.10-2007-0034080, filed on Apr. 6, 2007 in the Korean IntellectualProperty Office, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present invention generally relates to a refrigerator, and moreparticularly, to a refrigerator having an improved position of anillumination unit that illuminates the inside of a storing compartment.

2. Description of the Related Art

A refrigerator is a device which preserves articles at a temperaturenear freezing using a refrigerating cycle that includes a compressor, acondenser and an evaporator. The refrigerator has a storing compartmenttherein. The storing compartment receives cold air produced using therefrigerating cycle and preserves the articles. The storing compartmentis opened or closed by a door in order to prevent leakage of the coldair flowing within the storing compartment and to maintain thermalinsulation from the outside.

On the other hand, an illumination unit, that is an illuminating lamp,is installed in the storing compartment. The illuminating lamp emitslight so that the stored articles can be easily recognized. Also, theilluminating lamp is turned on and off by a signal of a door opening andclosing sensing unit which is disposed at a place near to the door andis capable of sensing the opening and closing of the door. Such anilluminating lamp is disposed at an inner side of the storingcompartment.

However, according to a conventional refrigerator as described above,the illuminating lamp is disposed at an inner side of the storingcompartment. Therefore, when many articles are stored in the storingcompartment, the articles block the light and the inside of the storingcompartment becomes dark, thus making it hard to recognize the articlesstored in the storing compartment.

SUMMARY

Accordingly, it is an aspect of the present invention to provide arefrigerator having an improved position of an illumination unit so thatthe illumination unit can illuminate efficiently, irrespective of thenumber of articles stored in a storing compartment.

Additional aspects and/or advantages of the present invention will beset forth in part in the description which follows and, in part, will beapparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of thepresent invention.

The foregoing and/or other aspects of the present invention can beachieved by providing a refrigerator including: a main body cabinetforming a storing compartment which has a front opening formed with apredetermined height and width; and a plurality of illumination unitsdisposed along an inner circumference of the main body cabinet, eachillumination unit including a light source which has a predeterminedlight directivity angle θ, and the light directivity angle θ of each ofthe light sources is disposed to not be superposed with the lightsources on the opposite side of the inner circumference.

According to an aspect of the invention, the light directivity angle θof each light source is disposed not to be superposed with each other,wherein the plurality of illumination units are adjacent to the frontopening.

According to an aspect of the invention, if the width of the frontopening is W then a height interval H1 of the plurality of illuminationunits satisfies the following equation: H1≦W×tan(θ/2).

According to an aspect of the invention, if the height of the storingcompartment is H then a width interval W1 of the plurality ofillumination units satisfies the following equation: W1≦H×tan(θ/2).

According to an aspect of the invention, the light directivity angle θof the light source is 120 to 160 degrees.

According to an aspect of the invention, the light source includes alight-emitting diode (LED).

According to an aspect of the invention, the illumination unit furtherincludes a housing which has an opening that the light source passesthrough and is received in an inner wall of the main body cabinet, and acover which is made of a transparent material and covers the opening ofthe housing.

According to an aspect of the invention, the cover guides lightirradiated by the light source to diverge inside the storingcompartment.

According to an aspect of the invention, if a height of the frontopening is H then a width interval W1 of the plurality of illuminationunits satisfies the following equation: W1≦H×tan(θ/2).

According to an aspect of the invention, the light directivity angle θof the light source is 120 to 160 degrees.

According to an aspect of the invention, the light source includes alight-emitting diode (LED).

According to an aspect of the invention, the illumination unit furtherincludes a housing which has an opening that the light source passestherethrough and is received in an inner wall of the main body cabinet,and a cover which is made of a transparent material and covers theopening of the housing.

According to an aspect of the invention, the cover guides lightirradiated by the light source to diverge inside the storingcompartment.

According to an aspect of the invention, a refrigerator comprises: amain body cabinet forming a storing compartment which has a frontopening formed with a predetermined height and width; and a plurality ofillumination units disposed along of an inner circumference of the mainbody cabinet; the plurality of illumination units being disposed in azigzag arrangement along the inner circumference of the main bodycabinet.

According to another aspect of the invention, the illumination unitseach comprise a light source which has a predetermined light directivityangle θ.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and/or other aspects and advantages will become apparent andmore readily appreciated from the following description of the exemplaryembodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a part of an illumination unitdescribed in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the illumination units disposed with apredetermined interval in a height direction; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the illumination units disposed with apredetermined interval in a width direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made in detail to the embodiments of the presentinvention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like reference numerals refer to like elementsthroughout. The embodiments are described below so as to explain thepresent invention by referring to the figures.

In this specification, a side-by-side type refrigerator is described asan exemplary embodiment of the present invention. However, the presentinvention is not limited to this exemplary embodiment but may also beapplied to top mounted freezer (TMF) type and bottom mounted freezer(BMF) type refrigerators.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerator according to an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention and FIG. 2 is an explodedperspective view of a part of an illumination unit described in FIG. 1.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the refrigerator 1 according to the exemplaryembodiment of the present invention includes a main body cabinet 3 whichforms a storing compartment 10 having a front opening 20, and aplurality of illumination units 60 which are disposed along an insidecircumference of the main body cabinet 3 to be adjacent to the frontopening 20.

The main body cabinet 3 forms an external appearance of the refrigerator1. A plurality of storing compartments 10 are formed in the main bodycabinet 3 with foaming agent filled between the storing compartments 10.In this case, the front opening 20 is formed in front of the storingcompartment 10 formed by the main body cabinet 3 so that articles canenter and exit through the front opening 20.

The storing compartment 10, as the exemplary embodiment of the presentinvention, is laterally divided into a cooling compartment 12 and afreezing compartment 14 by a barrier 18. In the storing compartment 10,shelves 41 are disposed with a predetermined interval therebetween todivide the storing compartment 10 into a plurality of spaces, andstoring drawers 42 are disposed to store the articles such as vegetablesthat need to prevent moisture evaporation.

The cooling compartment 12 stores the articles at a temperature higherthan a freezing point, that is, normally at temperature of about 4° C.The freezing compartment 14 stores the articles to be frozen at atemperature lower than the freezing point. Also, an ice maker 40 isinstalled in the freezing compartment 14 to receive water from an outerwater supply source (not shown) and make ice.

On the other hand, the front opening 20 of the storing compartment 10,where the articles pass through, is opened and closed by a door 30.Also, a receiving part 16, where the illumination unit 60 to bedescribed later is received, is formed at an inner wall of the storingcompartment 10 adjacent to the front opening 20.

The door 30 is connected to the main body cabinet 3 to open and closethe front opening 20 of the storing compartment 10. As an exemplaryembodiment of the present invention, the door 30 includes a coolingcompartment door 32 and a freezing compartment door 34 which arerotatably connected to the main body cabinet 3 to open and close thecooling compartment 12 and the freezing compartment 14 respectively. Inthis case, a dispenser unit (not shown) is installed in the freezingcompartment door 34 to take the ice from the ice maker 40 and drinkingwater from a water supplying unit (not shown) accommodated in the mainbody cabinet 3 in the outside. On the other hand, a door opening andclosing sensing unit 43 is provided at the inner wall of the storingcompartment 10 adjacent to the door 30 to contact the door 30.

If the door 30 is opened, the door opening and closing sensing unit 43transmits an opening signal to indictate opening of the door 30 to acontrolling unit (not shown). The controlling unit controls theillumination units 60 disposed in the storing compartment 10 to beturned on according to the opening signal transmitted from the dooropening and closing sensing unit 43.

The illumination unit 60 includes a light source 62 which is turned onand off by a control signal of the controlling unit, a substrate 64which provides a signal to the light source and is mounted with thelight source 62, a housing 66 which is received in the inner wall of themain body cabinet 3 with an opening that the light source 62 and thesubstrate 64 pass through, and a cover 68 of a transparent materialwhich covers the opening of the housing 66. The illumination unit 60 isdisposed along an inner circumference of the main body cabinet 3 to beadjacent to the front opening 20 of the storing compartment 10. In thiscase, the illumination unit 60 is disposed plurally with a predeterminedinterval therebetween to be adjacent to the front opening 20 of thestoring compartment 10.

As an embodiment of the present invention, the light source 62 is alight-emitting diode (LED). In this case, as an embodiment of thepresent invention, the LED used as the light source 62 is mounted as aset of 3 to 6 onto one of the substrates 64. Alternatively, the lightsource 62 may be embodied by a fluorescent lamp or an incandescent lamp.However, as the fluorescent lamp or the incandescent lamp generates alot of heat, it is possible but not necessary to use the LED as thelight source 62.

The light source 62 has a predetermined light directivity angle θ. Inthis case, the light directivity angle θ means an angle at which lightis diverged from the light source 62. As an embodiment of the presentinvention, the light directivity angle θ of the light source 62 is 120to 160 degrees. Such a light directivity angle θ of the LED is used inthis embodiment of the present invention. As an embodiment of thepresent invention, each of the light sources 62 is disposed along theinner circumstance of the main body cabinet 3 adjacent to the frontopening 20 of the storing compartment 10 without overlapping the lightdirectivity angle θ of each light source 62 with that of the other lightsource 62. A reference to a disposition interval to dispose each lightsource 62 without superposition of the light directivity angles θbetween the light sources 62 is described later in this specification.It is possible but not necessary that an irradiation of the light source62 is directed toward an inside to the storing compartment 10.

A printed circuit board (PCB) is used for the substrate 64 and controlsan electrical signal from the outside and transmits an on/off controlsignal of the controlling unit to the light source 62.

The housing 66 is provided to receive the light source 62 and thesubstrate 64. The housing 66 is received in the receiving part 16 whichis formed at the inner circumference of the main body cabinet 3 adjacentto the front opening 20 of the storing compartment 10. As an embodimentof the present invention, it is possible but not necessary that thehousing 66 is recessed relative to a plate surface of the storingcompartment 10 to be received in the receiving part 16. For example, thehousing 66 is made not to protrude from the plate surface of the storingcompartment 10 when it is coupled with the cover 68 to be describedlater, so that it may not interfere with a structure such as the shelf41 that is taken in or out of the storing compartment 10.

The cover 68 is provided to cover the opening of the housing 66 whichthe light source 62 and the substrate 64 pass through. The cover 68 ismade of a transparent material so that the light irradiated by the lightsource 62 in the housing 66 can reach inside the storing compartment 10.On the other hand, the cover 68 is provided to guide a divergingdirection of the light irradiated by the light source 62 to the insideof the storing compartment 10. That is, the cover 68 guides thediverging direction of the light irradiated by the light source 62 inthe housing 66 to the inside of the storing compartment 10, thusenabling the articles preserved in the storing compartment 10 to be moreeasily recognized.

With the above configuration, a plurality of the illumination units 60according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention aredisposed along the inner circumference of the main body cabinet 3 andadjacent to the front opening 20 of the storing compartment 10.Hereinafter, the disposition interval of the illumination units 60 isdescribed.

The principle of the disposition of the illumination units 60 accordingto the embodiment of the present invention is that the light directivityangles θ of the light sources 62 are disposed not to superpose with thelight directivity angles 0 of the light sources 62 disposed in oppositesides of the rectangular front opening 20.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view of the illumination units 60 disposed with apredetermined interval H1 in a height direction. As shown in FIG. 3, theheight interval H1 between the illumination units 60 in the heightdirection is expressed by the following equation 1.

That is, if a width of the front opening 20 is W then the heightinterval H1 between the plurality of illumination units 60 satisfies theequation 1:

H1≦W×tan(θ/2)   (1)

The equation 1 for the illumination unit 60 with a left lower side ofthe cooling compartment 12 as an example shows that tan(θ/2) is(height/base) and determines the height interval H1 which is thedisposition interval in the height direction of the illumination unit 60by multiplying the width W (which is a base in this case) with tan(θ/2).Accordingly, the light directivity angles θ of the illumination units 60disposed on the same compartment, opposite sides in the width directionare not superposed with each other.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of the illumination units 60 disposed with apredetermined interval W1 in a width direction. As shown in FIG. 4, thewidth interval W1 between the illumination units 60 in the widthdirection is expressed by the following equation 2.

That is, if the height of the front opening 20 is H then the widthinterval W1 between the plurality of illumination units 60 satisfies theequation 2:

W1≦H×tan(θ/2)   (2)

The equation 2 for the illumination unit 60 with a left upper side ofthe cooling compartment 12 as an example shows that tan(θ/2) is(height/base) and determines the width interval W1 which is thedisposition interval in the width direction of the illumination unit 60by multiplying the height H (which is a base in this case) withtan(θ/2). Accordingly, the light directivity angles θ of theillumination units 60 disposed on the opposite sides in the heightdirection are not superposed with each other.

Therefore, as the illumination units illuminating the storingcompartment are dispersed along the circumference of the main bodycabinet adjacent to the front opening of the storing compartment, thestoring compartment can be efficiently illuminated irrespective of thearticles stored in the storing compartment.

Also, the illumination units on the opposite sides can be disposed notto be superposed with each other by using the light directivity angle ofeach illumination unit, thus effectively disposing the illuminationunits and decreasing production cost.

In addition, as the illumination units are disposed by using thepredetermined light directivity angle of the illumination unit, they canbe applied to the storing compartment of various sizes, thus improvingproduction efficiency.

As described hereinbefore, according to the embodiment of the presentinvention, as the illumination units are dispersed along thecircumference of the main body cabinet and adjacent to the front openingof the storing compartment, the refrigerator storing compartment can beefficiently illuminated irrespective of the stored articles.

Also, the illumination units on the opposite sides can be disposed notto be superposed with each other by using the light directivity angle ofeach illumination unit, thus disposing the illumination unitsefficiently and providing the refrigerator which can decrease productioncosts.

In addition, as the illumination units are disposed by using thepredetermined light directivity angle thereof, they can be applied tothe storing compartment of various sizes, and thus the refrigeratorhaving improved production efficiency can be provided.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the present invention has been shownand described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in these embodiments without departing from theprinciples and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined inthe appended claims and their equivalents.

1. A refrigerator comprising: a main body cabinet forming a storingcompartment which has a front opening formed with a predetermined heightand width; and a plurality of illumination units disposed along an innercircumference of the main body cabinet, each illumination unitcomprising a light source which has a predetermined light directivityangle θ, and the light directivity angle θ of each of the light sourcesis disposed to not be superposed with the light sources on the oppositeside of the inner circumference, and the light sources are disposed toemit light toward an inside of the storing compartment.
 2. Therefrigerator according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of illuminationunits are adjacent to the front opening.
 3. The refrigerator accordingto claim 2, wherein if the width of the front opening is W then a heightinterval H1 of the plurality of illumination units satisfies thefollowing equation:H1≦W×tan(θ/2).
 4. The refrigerator according to claim 2, wherein if aheight of the front opening is H, then a width interval W1 of theplurality of illumination units satisfies the following equation:W1≦H×tan(θ/2).
 5. The refrigerator according to claim 3, wherein if aheight of the front opening is H then a width interval W1 of theplurality of illumination units satisfies the following equation:W1≦H×tan(θ/2).
 6. The refrigerator according to claim 1, wherein thelight directivity angle θ of the light sources is 120 to 160 degrees. 7.The refrigerator according to claim 5, wherein the light sourcescomprise a light-emitting diode (LED).
 8. The refrigerator according toclaim 2, further comprising an inner wall of the main body cabinet,wherein the illumination units further comprise a housing which has anopening that the respective light source passes through and is receivedin the inner wall of the main body cabinet, and a cover which is made ofa transparent material and covers the opening of the respective housing.9. The refrigerator according to claim 8, wherein the covers guide lightirradiated by the respective light sources to diverge inside the storingcompartment.
 10. A refrigerator comprising: a main body cabinet forminga storing compartment which has a front opening formed with apredetermined height and width; and a plurality of illumination unitsdisposed along an inner circumference of the main body cabinet, theplurality of illumination units being disposed in a zigzag arrangementalong the inner circumference of the main body cabinet.
 11. Therefrigerator according to claim 10, wherein the illumination units eachcomprise a light source which has a predetermined light directivityangle θ.
 12. The refrigerator according to claim 11, further comprisingan inner wall of the main body cabinet, wherein the illumination unitsfurther comprise a housing which has an opening that the respectivelight source passes through and is received in the inner wall of themain body cabinet, and a cover which is made of a transparent materialand covers the opening of the respective housing.